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Rival groups of birds behave like football fans, shouting chants at each other and commiserating after a loss, according to a UK researcher.

Green woodhoopoes, a South African bird, live together in gangs of up to 12 and "rival groups often engage in raucous vocal displays, akin to opposing football supporters chanting at one another", says Dr Andy Radford of University of Bristol.

Radford found that the birds preen each other (allopreen) after a conflict, particularly when they have just lost or the battle lasted a long time.

"There was significantly more body allopreening following long conflicts that were lost compared with those that were won," he writes.

Radford suggests birds act like football fans, commiserating with their friends in the pub after their team loses a match.

He believes they do this to reduce stress within the group, a trait more commonly seen in mammals.

"The receipt of allogrooming, the mammalian equivalent of allopreening, is known to decrease an individual's heart rate and tension-related activities," he says.

Radford adds that preening rates were highest among the most conflict-prone groups and suggests dominant members may preen subordinates in return for their participation in battles, or possibly to encourage them to stand in future fights.

"Preening may reduce stress and enhance cohesion among group members, which is particularly important following battles that are lost," he says.